Explore the Road with Donnamarie

The clink of glasses, the explosion of fireworks, a kiss at midnight, celebrating with friends and family – priceless. The new year is a time to start fresh, wipe the slate clean, set new goals. We celebrate the end of the old year and welcome in the new, each year with a party, good food, and new year’s cocktails. Do you find yourself thinking, ” I want to learn how to make some basic easy cocktails,” ?

To help celebrate, we did the work of creating these fancy new year’s drinks so you wouldn’t have to. As a result, all you have to do is follow the instructions to make these cocktail recipes. Then serve these fun drinks at your New Year’s gathering. I updated this post for new year’s eve cocktails 2021 to include versions of non-alcoholic new year’s eve drinks. This way you can share the new years eve cocktails with the younger generation or those who don’t drink.

Although holiday gift giving is done, it is never too late to buy great gifts for a mixologist. Mixology gifts make great host gifts at any time of year, and face it, a new year's eve party isn't the only time of year to make great drinks. These gifts will help create that perfect drink experience all year long. 

New Year’s Cocktails: #1 Jack Frost

These NYE cocktails without champagne have that icy look which inspired the name Jack Frost. These new years drinks are especially frosty if you keep your cocktail glasses in the freezer ahead of time. Wondering which liquors and mixers do I need? We tried to keep it simple. Nobody wants to spend the entire party mixing drinks instead of socializing.

Ingredients for Jack Frost cocktail recipe

• 1 1/2 oz. Skyy Vanilla Vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. Svedka Blue Raspberry Vodka
• Splash Blue Curacao (for color), although blue, this is an orange liquor and can be used for margaritas
• Sprite
• Confectioner Sugar

Directions for Jack Frost new years drink

1. Start by dipping the rim of glass in confectioner sugar.
2. Then fill the glass with ice.
3. After that pour in the vodkas.
4. Further, top with sprite and add a hint of Blue Curacao for an icy blue color. Stir.

New Year’s Cocktails: #2 The Midas Touch

Ingredients for Midas Touch- New year’s martini

• 2 1/2 oz. Skyy Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 oz. DeKuyper Creme De Cacao (light)
• 1/2 oz. Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. Snowy River gold cocktail glitter

Directions for Midas Touch NYE cocktails

1. First mix all liquors in an ice filled cocktail shaker.
2. Then pour into a chilled martini glass.
3. After that, add cocktail glitter, and stir to get a shimmering rich gold martini.

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New Year’s Cocktails: #3 Midnight Kiss

According to International Business Times, 44% of adults say they will kiss someone at midnight.

Ingredients for Midnight Kiss – New years eve cocktail

• 2 oz. Skyy Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 1 oz. Kavanagh Irish Cream
• 2 oz. Nestle Chocolate Chips

Directions for Midnight Kiss recipes

1. Start by chilling several martini glasses.
2. While the glasses are chilling assemble the rest of your ingredients and take chocolate chips and melt them in a microwavable bowl. In short, Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between each heating. Melting times will vary due to inconsistencies in microwaves. You want the chips melted but not too hot.
3. After that place the melted chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag. Moreover, snip a small hole in one corner.
4. Subsequently take the glasses out of the freezer and pipe chocolate designs on the inside of the glasses. NOTE: The chocolate should be enough for several glasses while the drink ingredients are for one cocktail. You can do up through step 4 ahead of time and keep the glasses in the freezer until ready for use.
5. Finally mix liquors together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Then strain into the glass and serve.

New Year’s Cocktails: #4 Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

While my husband and I are not big fans of Champagne, a list of New Year’s cocktails can’t be complete without at least one drink including the bubbly. Of course, you can make it a new year’s Prosecco cocktail by switching the French bubbly for the Italian. You can also make this into a champagne punch by eliminating the cranberry simple syrup and adding cranberry juice cocktail. Just mix the champagne and juice in a punch bowl. To be fancy, you can try a flavored wine such as a pomegranate champagne. As far as ice, I would add either a block of ice so it doesn’t water down the punch as quickly when it melts, or use reusable frozen cubes.

Ingredients for this classic champagne cocktail

• Bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine
• Cranberry Simple Syrup
• Cranberries and Rosemary sprig for garnish

Directions for easy champagne new years eve cocktails

1. Pour 1/2 oz. cranberry simple syrup in the bottom of a Champagne glass.
2. Most important, very carefully pour chilled Champagne down the side of the glass to fill it. Above all, you don’t want the syrup to mix with the Champagne.
3. Then top with a few frozen cranberries and a rosemary sprig for a festive holiday drink.

To make cranberry simple syrup mix two cups of sugar with one cup of water in a pot over medium heat. Then add one cup of cranberries. Stir until sugar is dissolved and liquid is dark pink. Don’t boil because cranberries will burst. After cooling strain the liquid. Further, you can use the leftover cranberry mixture as a substitute for preserves on some toast. In short, you can store simple syrup in the refrigerator for several weeks.

You can also garnish this holiday recipe with pomegranate arils instead of cranberries. For non-alcoholic new year’s eve drinks you can substitute sparking juice or ginger ale for the champagne. My parents used to do this when I was a kid. It always made me feel special to have a drink like the grown ups.

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Classic New Year’s Cocktail, Mulled Wine

You can buy ingredients all ready to go to make this classic easily. Or you can follow this recipe for a quick homemade version.

Ingredients for mulled wine

• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• zest of 1 lemon (not lemon juice)

How to make mulled wine

Place all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 5 minutes. DO NOT BOIL! Then strain into glasses. This is a classic German drink.

However, if you want to make some non-alcoholic new year’s eve drinks, you can swap out the wine for apple cider. This makes a great autumn drink as well. It warms the soul on chilly days. Of course, if you are making this for yourself, turn it into a new year’s whiskey cocktail by adding a shot of your favorite whiskey to your glass.

New Year’s Special Hot Chocolate

These are additional non-alcoholic new year’s eve drinks. However, feel free to add some peppermint schnapps if you want adult new years drinks.

Ingredients for special hot chocolate

• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream
• crushed candy cane for garnish

I have used a combination of regular milk and unsweetened almond milk, and this came out great. So if you want to cut down on the dairy, go ahead.

How to make special hot chocolate

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and marshmallows in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, until marshmallows are melted. Don’t boil.
3. When the marshmallows are melted, remove from heat. Then stir in the vanilla.
4. After that, lade into mugs, and top with whipped cream.
5. Garnish with crushed candy cane, or use a whole candy cane to stir with.

I hope you enjoy these 2021 cocktails and add them to your repertoire of new year’s eve drinks.

Happy New Year!